"UNO"

After taking care of the 'Three Muske-dead Gophers', I still had a few traps set in my neighbors yard.  To tell you the truth, I wasn't very optimistic about catching anything else that night.  Well, jump forward to 5:00 PM.  I opened my email and saw a wonderful sight.  A picture of a single gopher next to a Black Box gopher trap. 

Memories of a childhood card game instantly flashed into my mind.  I swiftly and forcefully slapped my hand on the desk and cried out, "UNO"!  There was an awkward silence in the office as I felt a dozen eyes looking at me.  I chuckled to myself and said, "That's number 25."

My neighbor took this photo and emailed it to me.  I think it has great artistic value.  I think I'll challenge my wife and children to a game of UNO tonight.

Be sure to check out the Gopher Casualty Counter!    

The Three Muske-dead Gophers!

This week has been cold and rainy, not the best weather for gophering.  However, my work can not, and must not be halted.  Friday afternoon, as I walked the fence line of my property (scouting the enemy), I saw a fresh mound just three feet outside of my property.  The word must be getting out to other gophers that my land is off limits. 

I decided to take the fight to them.  Gophering knows no bounds.  I marched over to my neighbors and told him the bad news, "I've scared 'em into your yard."  I then told him the good news, "I've got mad gophering skills, plenty of gopher traps, and I work for free."  So together we set out gophering.  We set 2 Cinch traps, a Black Box, a Black Hole, 2 Gophinators, and 2 Sweeney traps.  The results are as follows:

First one was caught in a Cinch trap.

Second one was caught in a Gophinator trap.

And the third Muske-dead Gopher fell victim to a Black Box.

On a side note:  due to recent rain fall, it was difficult to see the fresh mounds.  We made educated guesses as to which were the freshest.  I think we did rather well for a 24 hour period. 

Happy Gophering everyone!!!  Enjoy the weekend.  And as always, be sure to check out the Gopher Casualty Counter.

The phantom fuzz...

I set three traps Saturday night after discovering new activity near my fruit trees.  One of the traps was gopher #20, found that night.  I checked the other two Sunday evening.  One was sprung, but had been back filled by the wise and cunning enemy.  This trap was out of the hole with a phantom fuzz stuck to the jaws.  It appeared another creature dug up the trap and ate the diseased gopher.

I sure didn't eat the gopher out of the trap.  I'll give you one guess who did.  That's right, my faithful gophering canine companion Cricket.  I'm chalking this one up as a positive kill and adding it to the Gopher Casualty Counter.

She's cute and cuddly, but once again folks, when you come to visit, don't let her lick your face.  And be sure to check out the Gopher Casualty Counter.

If 3's a crowd, then what's 4 in one day?

Lets count the ways that I'm awesome:
#19

and #20

When I saw I had caught my 3rd gopher in one day, my self esteem was pretty high.  When I saw the 4th, well, lets just say "I'm plain awesome."  The top one is in a cinch trap from my neighbors yard.  The bottom one is in a Victor Blackbox gopher trap from my yard.  Lets all say it together, "I'M AWESOME!"

The Gopher Casualty Counter is getting up there, check it out at http://gopherwars.blogspot.com/2011/03/gopher-casualty-counter.html

Fastest recorded kill!!!

Today my beautiful wife was pulling weeds on the side our house when she saw an actively digging gopher.  Being not only beautiful, but equally as wise, she quickly notified the resident gopher hunter (Me).  She informed me this gopher was "cute" and I should leave it alone.  I disagreed.  No gopher is "cute."

I grabbed my gophering basket and lucky gophering hat.  After examining the area, I decided it would be a perfect spot for a cinch trap.  I set the trap and placed it in the hole.  Not more than 10 seconds later the trap went off.  Thinking I had somehow set it wrong, I pulled it from the hole.  To my amazement and wonder, there was a gopher at the end of the trap.  Victory is mine!!!

This makes two in my yard today.  Be sure to check the Gopher Casualty Counter at http://gopherwars.blogspot.com/2011/03/gopher-casualty-counter.html

The one that almost got away.

I have a sneaky suspicion that this little fellow is the one that didn't go for the cinch trap yesterday.  He did however fall victim to a Gophinator gopher trap from Trapline Products.   My wife thought the original photo was a little too graphic for those not in the gophering world, thus the blurred image.  I feel it important to show the effectiveness of each trap used.

On a side note-My fame is quickly spreading around town.  I received a call from a friend who informed me that after talking with his mom about my newly acquired skill of gophering, she wants to hire me to do some gophering in her yard.  Hurray for me!

Until next time, be sure to check out the Gopher Casualty Counter at http://gopherwars.blogspot.com/2011/03/gopher-casualty-counter.html

A little joy among two empty traps...#16

This morning I did the usual rounds through the yard.  To my dismay, I found the fresh stirring of soil.  The tale tale signs of gophers.  This was the first sighting of it's kind in two weeks.  I donned my lucky gophering hat and set out.  I opened up a small hole and set a cinch trap.  I then went to my neighbors house and checked their front yard.  I again found a fresh hole and set another cinch trap.

A couple of hours later I checked both traps.  The one in my yard was untouched.  The one in my neighbors was tripped.  I joyfully pulled the trap from the hole.  To my horror, the trap was empty.  I felt the pit in my stomach churn and the disgust grow.  I vowed revenge on my empty traps.

I moved one of the empty cinch traps to my neighbors back yard.  Two hours later...A GOPHER!  All my sorrow and self loathing was washed away in this sight.

As you can see, the cinch trap does a nice job!

You can tell in this close up these gophers are digging and eating machines.  Look at the size of those incisors.  The claws aren't bad either.  I respected a moment of silence before laying him to rest.

Be sure to check out the Gopher Casualty Counter at: http://gopherwars.blogspot.com/2011/03/gopher-casualty-counter.html

Gophering tool basket

This is my Gophering tool basket, complete with all the essential tools of the trade.  Can you believe that this wonderful milk crate was wastefully discarded on the side of the road.  When I saw it, it was like hearing the voices of angles.  I knew instantly it's purpose was not to sit there and gather dust.  It would serve humankind in a much better cause, GOPHERING!

I will describe the individual tools and equipment at a later time.  However, I wanted to show you the tool kit in it's "ready to go" state.  I keep this out side in an easily accessible spot.  At the first sign of a gopher, I put on my lucky gophering hat (to be shown later) and spring into action.

This is my faithful gophering canine companion Cricket.  She follows me around the yard and watches intently as I set traps.  She has, on a few occasions, been known to eat gophers.  I have no objections to her eating them; however I have to adjust her food intake and don't let her lick your face.

Number 15...

I set this cinch trap in my neighbors yard.  I added a tasty morsel of death in the hole next to the trip wire; cabbage and carrot bits.  Due to my Obsessive Compulsive Gophering Disorder (OCGD), I checked it an hour later.  You can see the trap is already sprung. 

When I pull the trap from the ground, what do I find...#15. (It's like unwrapping a Christmas gift each time).

He couldn't resist the cabbage and carrot bits.  After a brief pause, he's laid to rest.  He was a valiant warrior who raged a good fight.  Oh, what a lethal combination a cinch trap, cabbage and carrots are, in the hands of someone who knows how to use them.  RIP #15.

Gopher Casualty Counter

I've recently reached a small milestone in my quest for gopher eradication; my 15th gopher.  Not the most, not the least, but definitely a stepping stone.  Not wanting to lose track, I decided to start keeping a record of all the gophers that I send into the next world.  Thus, this post will change each time there is another casualty of Gopher Wars.

Total Count:67